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March 18, 2015 | USCIRF

Washington, D.C. – As the Iranian government prepares to respond on March 19 to recommendations made during the UN Human Rights Council’s (UNHRC) Universal Periodic Review (UPR), the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) calls attention to deteriorating conditions for freedom of religion and belief in Iran.  

“Since assuming office in 2013, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has not delivered on his promises to improve conditions for religious minority communities,” said USCIRF Chair Katrina Lantos Swett. “In fact, the Iranian government has imprisoned more than 350 people, including 150 Sunni Muslims, 100 Baha’is, 90 Christians, and at least a dozen Sufi Muslims, for their beliefs. The number of Christians imprisoned has nearly doubled over the past year. The United States and international community should call for the release of all prisoners of conscience in Iran, including: Saeed Abedini, a Christian pastor and U.S. citizen; Ayatollah Mohammed Kazemeini Boroujerdi, a Shi’a Muslim cleric; and Mahvash Sabet, a Baha’i leader held since 2008.  These brave people, among many others, are suffering solely for exercising their fundamental right to freedom of conscience or belief.”

The recent report of the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Iran, Ahmed Shaheed, concluded that conditions for human rights, including religious freedom, have declined since President Rouhani took office.  In addition, a report by UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon found that religious minority communities “continue to face persecution, including arrest and imprisonment, the denial of economic opportunities, expulsion from educational institutions, deprivation of the right to work, and closure of businesses and the destruction of religious sites, such as cemeteries and prayer centers.”

As part of the UPR process, governments made 291 recommendations to the Iranian government for human rights improvements, with 26 focused on freedom of religion or belief, particularly the plight of religious minorities. On Thursday, March 19 Iran will specify which of the recommendations it will accept.  In the past, Iran has accepted very few UPR recommendations related to religious freedom and has implemented ever fewer.  

Since 1999, USCIRF has recommended and the State Department has designated Iran as a “country of particular concern” (CPC) under the 1998 International Religious Freedom Act (IRFA) for the Iranian government’s systematic, ongoing, egregious violations of religious freedom.

See USCIRF’s work on Iran here. See more on prisoners of conscience in Iran and worldwide who are part of the Defending Freedoms Project here.  The Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission, in conjunction with USCIRF and Amnesty International USA, created this initiative.  

To interview a USCIRF Commissioner, please contact USCIRF at [email protected] or 202-786-0613

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March 17, 2015

WASHINGTON, D.C. — On Sunday, March 15, the day an official U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) delegation to Pakistan departed the country, Pakistani Taliban terrorists attacked two churches in Lahore during worship services.  At least 15 people were killed and over 80 wounded.  The funerals will be held today.  The attack follows other assaults on Shi’a mosques and meeting places.

“We mourn with those grieving at funerals today.  These horrific attacks sought to kill as many Christians as possible, occurring during Sunday services at two Lahore churches,” said USCIRF Chair Katrina Lantos Swett.  “During our visit we learned about government efforts to fight the Pakistani Taliban, and yet these attacks continue to unfold without adequate response.  Prime Minister Sharif and his government need to respond decisively and ensure worship sites are secured and perpetrators arrested and prosecuted.  Just weeks earlier a Shi’a mosque was attacked in the capital Islamabad.  It is important to recognize that these terrorist groups are equal opportunity murderers and minority Muslims as well as Christians have been victims of their vicious attacks.”

Commissioner Mary Ann Glendon said, “From our meetings with Pakistani officials, we don’t discount Pakistan’s many challenges.  Yet Pakistan’s own Supreme Court has recognized the need for stronger actions, calling for a special police force to protect minority worship sites and a new commission on religious minorities.  No such force has been created and the commission, buried within the Ministry for Religious Affairs, has no direct access to the Prime Minister.  Creating such a security force and bringing the minority commission into the cabinet could help improve the situation while also fulfilling Pakistan’s highest court’s ruling.”

USCIRF Chair Katrina Lantos Swett and Commissioner Mary Ann Glendon visited Islamabad on March 12-15 to meet with Pakistani officials, civil society, and religious communities.  It was the first Commissioner-level visit to Pakistan in USCIRF’s history.  There are reports that Christian protestors killed two bystanders believed to be involved in the attack.  USCIRF has monitored religious freedom conditions in Pakistan for many years and repeatedly has recommended that the State Department designate it as a “country of particular concern” for the government’s perpetration and toleration of severe religious freedom violations.  The Pakistan chapter of USCIRF’s 2014 Annual report details these violations. 

To interview a USCIRF Commissioner, please contact USCIRF at [email protected] or 202-786-0613.

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March 17, 2015 | USCIRF

Statement of Commissioner Eric P. Schwartz upon completing a visit to Sri Lanka, March 15-17, 2015

I am very pleased to have had the opportunity to visit Sri Lanka with USCIRF Senior Policy Analyst Sahar Chaudhry to assess the climate for religious freedom, other human rights, and tolerance since the country’s 2015 election.

During our three day visit, we had the opportunity to meet with Minister of Foreign Affaris, Mangala Samaraweera, Justice Minister Wijedasa Rajapaksa, Minister of Buddha Sasana Karu Jayasuriya, and Minister of Muslim Religious Affairs Abdel Halim Mohamed Hasheem, as well as representatives from Sri Lanka’s diverse religious communities, among others.

We are encouraged by statements made by officials with whom we met.  In particular, we welcome comments in support of national reconciliation among all Sri Lanka’s religious and ethnic communities.  After a devastating war and reports that religious minority communities were increasingly subjected to attacks in recent years, the new government's engagement with religious minorities is an important step forward in the effort to promote national unity and increased space for all religious groups.

We welcome other measures by the government, in the areas of freedom of expression and association in particular, which tend to create a climate conducive to religious freedom.

We are very pleased to hear that reports of abuses perpetrated against minority religious communities have diminished over the last few months.  We encourage the government to hold perpetrators of such crimes accountable.  We believe accountability will encourage a critical sense of security and well-being among affected communities.

While welcoming recent government measures, representatives of civil society with whom we met expressed continued concerns about the ability of religious communities to practice their chosen faiths without restriction.  This includes the ability to build houses of worship and to be free of any acts of intimidation or harassment. 

We hope and trust Sri Lankan officials will address these issues in the weeks and months to come. Nonetheless, we leave Sri Lanka with a sense of great encouragement, and we look forward to further progress on these critically important issues.

To interview a USCIRF Commissioner, please contact USCIRF at [email protected] or 202-786-0613.